“Yuvraj Singh asked Shubman Gill and Abhishek to go to bed by 9 pm”: Yogaj Singh

Yuvraj Singh’s contribution to Indian cricket didn’t end with his retirement. It has simply taken a different form. The 2011 World Cup hero has been quietly shaping the next generation, including India’s new Test captain Shubman Gill and rising T20 star Abhishek Sharma. The “Punjab” connection means that India haven’t been devoid of flair. After Yuvraj Singh’s retirement in 2019, the likes of Gill and Abhishek have lit up with rather dominance.

“Yuvraj gets tense when Gill, Abhishek, plays.”

Speaking exclusively to InsideSport, Yuvraj’s father, Yograj Singh, shed light on his son’s deep involvement in mentoring both cricketers. “I have never seen him (Yuvraj Singh) tense. But every time Abhishek Sharma or Shubman Gill are playing, he gets very tense. He tells the truth. He’s guiding Shubman Gill. He asks them to go to bed by 9 PM. He’s ringing them up at 5 o’clock in the morning,” revealed Yuvraj Singh’s father.

“He even calls at night, asking, Why are you not in bed, and why is your phone on? Shut it down. Abhishek, especially. Yuvraj has to grind him all the time. He’s supporting them and doing so much for them. This is the way it should be.”

Yuvraj’s role in shaping Gill & Abhishek

While Gill and Abhishek have both charted their own journeys through hard work and talent, Yuvraj has been a steady presence in the background as a mentor, disciplinarian (like Yograj mentioned), and older brother rolled into one. During the COVID lockdown, Yuvraj hosted both Gill and Abhishek at his home for a training camp that mixed rigorous drills with lessons.

Today, Shubman Gill is India’s Test captain at just 24, is on course to be a natural leader with a calm head. Abhishek Sharma, once seen as a white-ball prodigy, is now a regular in India’s T20I plans, thanks to his fearless stroke play and improved consistency. Both were two of the top retentions for their respective IPL franchises. Yuvraj has had a massive impact, so much so that Yograj previously credited his son for Gill’s ascension as the Indian Test skipper.